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{"metadata":{"id":"0036a282458736b925b571e7cb4dedc0","source":"gardian_index","url":"https://cgspace.cgiar.org/rest/bitstreams/7ccdfeca-a2d6-4ad9-b0ae-073a5a3171e4/retrieve"},"pageCount":17,"title":"Profiling of bean seed and variety information dissemination channels used by seed producers in Eastern and Southern Africa","keywords":[],"chapters":[{"head":"| INTRODUCTION","index":1,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":128,"text":"Information dissemination on variety and seed can take several forms and is an avenue for introducing new technology to potential users. It is also a means for sustaining the use of a given technology. Bean seed and variety information can be share shared between research/breeder/seed system experts and farmers, between seed producers and farmers or between farmers and farmers. These promotional/information events may take a form of: demonstrations, participatory variety selection, exhibitions, Barraza's, sensitizations, trainings, and field days. To build synergies and utilize existing networks, the new paradigm is to have events organized as a collaboration between public and private sector (private seed companies, Non-Governmental Organizations, Community Based Organizations, Schools, agro-dealers, Extension agents, traders etc.) actors. The promotional event types vary by country and location within the country."},{"index":2,"size":59,"text":"Disseminating variety and technology information is important because it helps influence adoption of improved technologies thus allowing farmers exploit better genetics leading to genetic gains in farmers' fields. Also, several farmers when they adopt new varieties may be conservative to change which makes old bean varieties dominate production systems. This is true for different crops in the developing world."},{"index":3,"size":129,"text":"For example, despite having new maize varieties, the average age of maize varieties in farmers' fields is 15-20 years (Marcho et al., 2020), the age of rice varieties grown by farmers in India is 25 years (Marcho et al., 2020), and varietal turnover for common bean is 19 years in Ethiopia (Habte, et al., 2021). Having low variety turn over makes several dollars invested in developing new varieties go to waste since the superior varieties are not in use and not in farmer hands. Quickening variety turnover is critical for crops like common bean because it not only lift the crop's yield potential, but has also become urgent because common bean is highly vulnerable to environmental stresses that is on increase due to climate change (Atlin et al., 2017)."},{"index":4,"size":85,"text":"Given the importance of having varieties and other complimentary technologies in farmers hands and that seed producers play a pivotal role in ensuring access to quality seed, it is important to document the promotional methods that they use. It is also important to understand their assessment of the different methods in reaching men, women and youth. This study was thus set out to undertake an evaluation on methods use to promote bean varieties, use of improved bean seed and other integrated crop management (ICM) options."}]},{"head":"| METHODS","index":2,"paragraphs":[]},{"head":"Study area.","index":3,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":55,"text":"The study was carried out in four countries. Two countries in east Africa (Burundi and the Democratic republic of Congo) and two countries in southern Africa (Zambia and Zimbabwe). The study did not limit itself to any geographical location within each country but tracked different seed producers that existed and or operated within the country."}]},{"head":"Sampling and data collection","index":4,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":94,"text":"To obtain the sample of seed producers' information on existing bean seed producers was obtained from nation seed certifying authorities. Additional information was obtained from National Agricultural Research systems (NARS) partners on the seed producers that source EGS seed from them or those that are within their networks. These were then categorized as individual seed producers, contracted out growers, community based seed producers/local seed businesses, farmer cooperatives, seed companies, and NARS and data elicited from them. However that most supplied certified or quality declared seed to farmers, we clustered them together in the analysis."},{"index":2,"size":73,"text":"Data was collected on the seed producer's sources of bean variety, seed, and ICM information and the information dissemination channels they use to deliver this information. Data was also was collected on the seed producer's subjective assessment of the best information channels to use to effectively create comprehension among men, women and youth and also the most cost effective channels. Whether seed producers conduct capacity building and offer extension services was also assesses."}]},{"head":"| DATA","index":5,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":104,"text":"A study to profile bean seed producers was conducted in four countries: Burundi, The democratic republic of Congo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In total 15 seed producers were interviewed in Burundi, 37 in DRC, 14 in Zambia, and 49 in Zimbabwe. The seed producers were of different categories including community based seed producers/farmer groups, formally registered farmer cooperatives, individual seed producers contracted as out growers, Non-governmental organizations, and seed companies. There were variations of the types of seed producers depending on the countries context. The sampling of seed producers was purposive and depended on the availability of a given type of seed in the country."}]},{"head":"| RESULTS","index":6,"paragraphs":[]},{"head":"| Source of variety and seed information among bean seed producers","index":7,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":66,"text":"The major source of information on bean varieties for seed producers is research/NARS. Other sources of information are summarized in figure 1. Zambian seed producers had the least diverse ways of accessing variety information while Zimbabwe and Burundi producers had the most diverse sources for accessing variety information. Since Research/NARs is the most important source of information, it is important to support their information delivery avenues. "}]},{"head":"| Information dissemination channels used by seed producers","index":8,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":121,"text":"Once seed producers receive this information, they disseminate it seed buyers. Offering variety information to seed buyers is important in creating and sustaining bean seed demand. From the survey, 57.4% of the sampled seed producers reported offering information on varieties to their clients. The largest share of seed producers that offered information was in Zambia and the lowest was in Zimbabwe (Figure 2) For the seed producers that disseminated information, the information on bean varieties, seed and integrated crop management options was mostly disseminated through demonstration plots and radio in Burundi, through agricultural shows in DRC, and mostly through agricultural shows, field days, and demonstration plots in Zambia. In Zimbabwe, the commonest means of disseminating information was demonstration plots (Table 1). "}]},{"head":"| Perception on channels for effectively reaching different gender groups","index":9,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":91,"text":"We asked seed producers to offer their perception in terms of effectiveness of different dissemination channels in reaching men, women and youth farmers. These varied by country but less between men and women. For example in Burundi, the most effective channel deemed effective in creating faster comprehension among adult mean was field demonstrations , while in DRC was agricultural shows, Zambia was field days, and in Zimbabwe was demonstrations and Radio (Figure 3). This was perceived the same for adult women though fields days also faired highly in Zimbabwe (Figure 4)."},{"index":2,"size":51,"text":"For male youth, the most important channels effective in creating faster comprehension were social media platforms and fields days in Burundi, Agricultural shows in DRC, field days and Radio is Zambia, and demonstrations, agricultural shows, and fields days in Zimbabwe (Figure 5). The methods were similar for female youth (Figure 6)."},{"index":3,"size":16,"text":"In terms of cost effectiveness in creating awareness about bean varieties and ICM options, three methods "}]},{"head":"ZIMBABWE (n=16)","index":10,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":14,"text":"Figure 7: The most cost-effective information dissemination approach for raising variety awareness among farmers"}]},{"head":"| Bean seed production capacity building activities among bean seed producers","index":11,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":113,"text":"Another way of delivering information is through offering training to bean seed producers who in turn pass the information to the community. About 42.9%, 61.1%, 23.1%, and 32.7% of seed producers in Burundi, DRC, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, respectively, reported that they offered training to their bean seed growers. A majority of seed producers trained in Burundi were individual seed producers, in DRC and Zambia were mostly community based seed producer/Farmer group/CBO/Local seed Business and in Zimbabwe were out growers/Individual contracted seed producer (Table 2). Figure 8 gives the most dominant methods used by seed producers to build the capacity of farmers. The commonest methods throughout countries were field demonstrations and farmer field schools."},{"index":2,"size":31,"text":"Workshops with demonstrations were also a common method. The number of men, women, and youth farmers that have benefited from capacity building offered by seed producers are summarized in Table 3. "}]},{"head":"| Provision of extension services by seed producers","index":12,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":58,"text":"To ensure that quality seed is produced, seed producers often employ extension agent and offer extension services. About 46.7%, 8.1%, 21.4%, and 32.7% of seed producers in Burundi, DRC, Zambia, and Zimbabwe reported that they offered extension related services to their seed producers. The gendered disaggregation of extension agents sued by seed companies is shown in Table 5. "}]},{"head":"| SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS","index":13,"paragraphs":[{"index":1,"size":134,"text":"Up to nine methods were reported by seed producers for accessing information on bean varieties and ICM options. The commonest information source was from research/NARS systems and these are the developers and maintainers of these varieties. Once seed producers access information, they disseminate to grain farmers and also contracted seed growers. The main and traditional strategies used to deliver this information includes agricultural shows, field days, and demonstrations. However there are emerging new digital tools for delivering information including social media, animations, and Radio. It was perceived that for adult men and women, use of similar kind of information channels could achieve the same levels of effectiveness. For male and female youth bean seed farmers, the use of traditional information and technology dissemination strategies combined with digital tools (social media and aminations) is critical."},{"index":2,"size":76,"text":"Seed producers also build the capacity of the seed producers they contract to produce seed. This improves their competence and thus the productivity of seed production. The commonest methods used to build the capacity of seed producers include field demonstrations, farmer field schools, and workshops with demonstrations. Seed producers are mostly trained on good seed production agronomic practices, variety identification and maintenance of genetic purity, and business management. This knowledge is further extended through extension support."}]}],"figures":[{"text":"Figure 1 : Figure 1: Major information sources for seed producers, by country "},{"text":"Figure 2 : Figure 2: Proportion of seed producers that offer variety and production information to buyers "},{"text":"Figure 3 :Figure 4 : figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. "},{"text":" "},{"text":"Table 1 : Information dissemination channels used by seed producers to create awareness Burundi DRC Zambia Zimbabwe BurundiDRCZambiaZimbabwe Variable (n=8) (N=29) (n=13) (n=16) Variable(n=8)(N=29)(n=13)(n=16) Percentage Percentage Print material (leaflets, brochures, Print material (leaflets, brochures, posters) 37.5 6.9 30.8 6.3 posters)37.56.930.86.3 Agricultural shows 0.0 82.8 100.0 25.0 Agricultural shows0.082.8100.025.0 Field days 37.5 27.6 100.0 37.5 Field days37.527.6100.037.5 Demonstration plots 62.5 13.8 100.0 56.3 Demonstration plots62.513.8100.056.3 Participatory variety selection 0.0 20.7 7.7 12.5 Participatory variety selection0.020.77.712.5 Seed fairs 12.5 13.8 15.4 12.5 Seed fairs12.513.815.412.5 Radio 50.0 13.8 15.4 6.3 Radio50.013.815.46.3 "},{"text":"Table 2 : Type of bean seed producers trained after outsourcing services Burundi DRC Zambia Zimbabwe BurundiDRCZambiaZimbabwe (n=6) (n=22) (n=3) (n=16) (n=6)(n=22)(n=3)(n=16) Percentage Percentage "},{"text":"Table 3 : Numbers of men and women seed producers trained Burundi Zambia Zimbabwe BurundiZambiaZimbabwe (n=9) DRC (n=36) (n=4) (n=16) (n=9)DRC (n=36)(n=4)(n=16) "},{"text":"Table 4 : Type of training received by bean seed producers. Burundi Zambia Zimbabwe BurundiZambiaZimbabwe (n=6) DRC (n=22) (n=3) (n=16) (n=6)DRC (n=22)(n=3)(n=16) Percentage Percentage Maintaining genetic purity in seed Maintaining genetic purity in seed production 66.7 31.8 100.0 75.0 production66.731.8100.075.0 Field disease identification 66.7 54.5 100.0 18.8 Field disease identification66.754.5100.018.8 Store level disease identification 33.3 9.1 66.7 18.8 Store level disease identification33.39.166.718.8 Pest management 50.0 81.8 100.0 25.0 Pest management50.081.8100.025.0 Field variety Identification 16.7 27.3 66.7 18.8 Field variety Identification16.727.366.718.8 In store variety Identification 16.7 4. 66. 12.5 In store variety Identification16.74.66.12.5 Proper spacing 83.3 59.1 100.0 6. Proper spacing83.359.1100.06. Appropriate planting window 83.3 4.5 100.0 6.3 Appropriate planting window83.34.5100.06.3 plant population 83.3 40.9 66.7 12.5 plant population83.340.966.712.5 fertility management including fertility management including inoculation 50.0 18.2 100.0 6.3 inoculation50.018.2100.06.3 Proper weed control 50.0 9.1 100.0 12.5 Proper weed control50.09.1100.012.5 Seed marketing 33.3 72.7 0.0 25.0 Seed marketing33.372.70.025.0 Record Keeping 16.7 13.6 66.7 6.3 Record Keeping16.713.666.76.3 "},{"text":"Table 5 : Number of extension agents employed by seed producers, by country Variable Variable "}],"sieverID":"55b1c9b9-3e0c-447a-a51d-e2671a0f9ebf","abstract":""} |
